I’m BACK! Hooray! And Updates for our Family….

I’m BACK!! Hooray!!

I hope everyone has had a great introduction to the new year. At our home, life has been such a whirlwind! After we returned from our lovely family Christmas time, within a week or so I caught the flu, which was quite an experience. I have never been “sick” really as an adult, so this was something of a shock to my senses to have a fever, chills, aches, etc. for a few days.

Thankfully we were able to work through everything without any major developments (it took time, but that’s to be expected), but the most adventurous part of the entire ordeal was definitely when both my husband and I were sick and our lovely children were mostly running the house. It was certainly one time that I was very thankful for my ability to be present in the home and aware of the removal of my daily blessing for the short “season” of our flu. The Lord certainly has a way of showing us things, doesn’t He?

Although the flu is certainly no walk in the park I am thankful for having had the experience for plenty reasons. My immune system was strengthened, I was provided a sudden and unexpected time to simply be and rest without all the to and fro of the day, and the Lord led me to take time to review some curriculums that I had been considering but never seemed to have enough time to really look into. Lol. Unexpectedly, the time was quite a benefit and blessing for my mental strength and refocusing of organization in our home. Even things like the flu can be used for God’s good purposes, friends =0)

Updates for Our Family

Several posts ago I mentioned that our family was beginning an interesting season of transition out of the military and into the civilian world. Well, over the course of the last month or so the Lord has brought us through some interesting experiences of “doors being closed”, while others have been opened and brought into the light. Walking with the Lord in complete faith is certainly a journey!

My husband has been faithfully applying for all of the jobs that would have made the most sense with his military and professional experience while in the military, but each of these jobs were quickly “closed doors” as time after time he was told “you’re over qualified for this position, sorry.” The only job arena that was happy to welcome him was in a field that we feel strongly convicted against him joining because it would put a wedge between what we feel called to do in our home as a family and his work responsibilities. Thankfully, the Lord had made that one clear to us months ago, so it took no effort to say “Thanks, but no thanks.”

My husband decided to try a more local government option and was well-received initially with his application. But, oddly enough, as he continued through the job interviews he was experiencing a level of harassment and hazing that we felt was unnecessary and a clear sign of this job NOT being the path that the Lord had for us. After a few more experiences like this, which simply seemed to just get worse and worse with each successive part of the process, we decided that the stress of the application was certainly not worth the potential job provision and my husband pulled his application from the pile…Back to square one.

As disheartening as this whole experience was for us, it was also a great lesson in trusting the Lord for His wisdom and guidance for our life, and not following our thoughts for what jobs would be “good.”

It did not take long, however, for the Lord to bring to light a job opportunity that had been brought to my husband’s attention several months ago, which he had simply dismissed at that time because it did not seem interesting to him, or even something that was up his alley, so to speak. Desperate times, though, seem to change a person’s willingness to consider options that otherwise would have been tossed out with the trash, so my husband looked it over again. This time around, of course, he saw that there was actually a lot that his experience could bring to the table for the job, and he followed up by connecting with the contact we were given. So, although we do not yet know how this job potential will turn out, we thankfully at least have another path of guidance to be moving towards for his job.

In addition, as we have continued to simply go through the steps that are put before us each day, the Lord has also provided a clear path to provide for our family during this interesting interim season. In the aforementioned post we were planning to sell our house, buy a trailer and some simple land, and just live an inexpensive life while we waited and looked for my husband’s job. We have learned, however, that this option is not available in our area, as trailers and the like are simply not permitted to be lived in as a dwelling unless in a trailer park. We also learned that the alternative housing options that we so desperately want to do will be nearly impossible in our state due to housing regulations and codes. =0(

As we researched this we were frustrated, but not ultimately hopeless, because we knew that the Lord was leading us to where we needed to go. Over the course of several weeks through the various job interview experiences we had, the Lord clarified and revealed to us the vision for where our family is going, how to go about getting there, and when to get moving on the process:

For years my husband and I have continued to be more and more drawn to the subsistence lifestyle of homesteading, self-provision, and self-sustainability. How close we will get to that lifestyle remains to be seen, but we are very drawn to it. As we have gone through this process and learned some of the regulations for such living, not to mention the sheer cost of land, etc in our area, the Lord reminded us of a previous desire in our hearts to move to Tennessee. This reminder sent us searching for the Tennessee laws and codes and we were amazed! Everything we feel passionate to do, build, etc. is completely doable at at prices that I would not have even thought feasible in our present location. The Lord was so good to help us locate our “Promised Land.”

Since we do not quite know when my husband will officially have a new paying job, we have been praying for guidance and clarity on the path we ought to take in the mean time. Through all of this the Lord showed my husband a smooth, clean path, which we believe will be a significant blessing for our family. We have been led to fix up as best as we can and sell our home, and move in with my mom while the Lord works out the timing for my husband’s job. My mom still lives in the house in which I grew up, so I am excited to spend time there with my own family as a multi-generational home. In addition, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to bless my mom by helping her with fixing up and clearing out her own home, since she has also talked about moving at some point in the future but has not been able to do everything that needs to be done on her own. With my husband home each day during this interim, we have plenty of time to bless her with working hands! I am so happy for this opportunity.

Although we do have some savings, we are looking to make these changes as soon as possible simply to alleviate the monthly expenses of the mortgage and utility payments. With those out of the way, plus the sale of the house, we will have a sufficient amount of cash to live on for the time we need. Praise the Lord! Now we will simply be praying for a speedy sale of the house =0)

In a Nutshell…

So, that’s the latest update for our current family events. Definitely some major changes in the near future, but I am really so excited to go through this process and continue to grow and be forever changed by the challenges and trials we experience. I know that it will not be easy (really, whatever in life worth doing ever is?), but it will certainly be worth the shift of lifestyle that we so desperately want to make! It will bless me immensely for you to keep these things in your prayers =0) Thank you so very much!

Have you ever gone through a major lifestyle change like this, or upheaval of your normal way of living? I’d love to hear all about it, so be sure to share in a comment below =0) God bless!

Glad you are back and feeling better. You sure do have some major changes ahead of you. I bet your mom will be thrilled to have her grand kids staying with her for a short time and the extra help with fixing up her home.

I left comments on here several months back. My 7th child was born at home Nov. 26th…..which was her due date. She was my 4th home birth. Love home birth!! So thankful to have that option.